Day 10 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!
6:45 AM, at the Log Cabin trailhead along South Klondike Highway No. 2, British Columbia – Misting, and the wind still blew. Not that cold out, but the world was gray, wet, dreary, the mountains cloaked by low clouds and drifting fog. Lupe had ventured out only once or twice during a blustery night of light rain. So what now?
Wait. At least a little while. Give it a chance. SPHP worked on catching up the trip journal. Lupe snoozed, or watched as water droplets ran in silvery streaks down the windows.
8:00 AM – No change, except that the journal was caught up. Probably wasn’t going to anytime soon, either. A few tiny patches of blue sky had appeared off to the SE, but quickly vanished to be followed by another shot of rain. The Alaskan coast must be socked in. Peak 6053 or Devils Punch Bowl weren’t happening. Not today. May as well forget it.
SPHP turned the key. Lupe was on her way N again! Only a few miles farther inland made an amazing difference. The rain had completely stopped. The situation only continued to improve. The forest fires Lupe had seen E of Tagish Lake yesterday were still burning. Didn’t look like it had rained a drop here. Well, that was easy! Onward!
There were stops along the way. N of Carcross, the American Dingo got to sniff around the old Robinson Roadhouse. In Whitehorse, she waited in the G6 while SPHP got cleaned up at the Takhini Hot Pools. She had to wait some more as fuel and supplies were purchased. Loop did her best to help devour half a barbecued chicken, and enjoyed considerable success at it.
However, Lupe didn’t really get to escape the G6 again until she was well N of Whitehorse at Fox Lake. The Carolina Dog promptly made such a ruckus about squirrels, SPHP was afraid of getting tossed out of the campground before being able to fill the water jugs.
Much of the day had already been frittered away by the time Loopster reached Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon River N of Carmacks. SPHP stopped at a big pullout on the W side of North Klondike Highway No. 2. The American Dingo was thrilled with a chance to redeem herself after her squirrel escapades, and escape the G6 again.
An observation deck along the edge of the highway pullout overlooked the Yukon River valley and Five Finger Rapids. Plaques told about the dangers to boats and rafts Five Finger Rapids had posed back in the days of the Klondike Gold Rush, and discussed the geology of the Five Finger islands. The navigation problems had ultimately been resolved by blasting away the underwater hazards in the river channel.
One of the plaques showed a map of a 2 km long trail that went down to the Yukon River near Five Finger Rapids. Lupe would enjoy that!
Lupe was about ready to head down a long stairway leading to the trail, when suddenly a voice said “There’s that dog we saw at Atlin Lake!”. And that was how Lupe and SPHP got to meet Fred and Teresa Reitsma.
Fred and Teresa were from Smithers, British Columbia. Having recently sold the Smithers Sausage Factory, which Fred had started way back in 1984, a month ago Fred and Teresa had purchased a beautiful, recent model 5th wheel camper. They were now on their very first trip with it on the way to Dawson City. They planned to meet up with friends there, and do some gold panning.
After a pleasant chat, Lupe and SPHP started down the long wooden stairway leading to the Five Finger Rapids trail.
At the base of the stairs, a nice level path went through the forest.
A wooden walkway went over a damp spot. Lupe didn’t necessarily need it, but the walkway was a nice convenience for SPHP.
Near the trail’s end, an opening to the R provided an opportunity to get to cliffs overlooking the Yukon River. Lupe could see the downstream end of Five Finger Rapids from here.
The trail climbed a little hill before ending at a huge deck overlooking the Yukon River and Five Finger Rapids.
The observation deck had plaques telling about the Klondike Gold Rush days, and navigation issues on the Yukon River.
Voices! Fred and Teresa appeared. They had come to see Five Finger Rapids, too. The more, the merrier! While the Reitsmas took their turn on the big observation deck, Lupe circled around it to get a bit closer to the cliffs upstream of Five Finger Rapids.
Fred and Teresa joined Lupe and SPHP on the way back to the trailhead. Once there, the Reitsmas were more than willing to pose with Lupe at the Five Finger Rapids sign.
It was getting on toward dinnertime. Fred and Teresa graciously invited SPHP to join them in their 5th wheel camper for hamburgers and home-grown peas, carrots and potatoes. Naturally, SPHP accepted.
Lupe had her Alpo, then dozed contentedly in the G6 while Fred, Teresa and SPHP had a tasty, nutritious meal. The evening was spent relaxing and chatting in the beautiful 5th wheel camper. Fred had once bicycled clear across Canada! Teresa was originally from Red Deer in Alberta, a community which has grown tremendously. They both loved Smithers and the outdoors.
It was a fun time! Though the sun sets late in the Yukon, it was getting low by the time SPHP returned to the G6. On the road once more, Lupe didn’t get an awful lot farther before stopping for the night. A sign said the American Dingo had reached the E edge of Beringia.
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